Reversible training idler



Aug. 30, 1966 w. c. STEINMETZ REVERSIBLE TRAINING IDLER Filed July 6, 1964 INVENTOR; WALTER C.5TE|NMETZ, BY p (e HTTOENEK United States Patent 3,269,518 REVERSIBLE TRAINING TDLER Walter C. Steinmetz, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Jeffrey Galion Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed July 6, 1964, Ser. No. 380,218 3 Claims. (Cl. 198202) The instant invention relates to training idlers for belts, such as conveyor belts, and more particularly, to a training idler that is reversible in accordance with the direction of travel of the belt over the idler.

It is the object of the instant invention to provide an improved belt training idler of simple construction, which may be easily reversed to place the idler in proper training position in accordance with the direction of travel of the belt over the idler.

Other objects of the invention will appear herein-after, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevat-ional view of a reversible training idler constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the reversible training idler, as viewed from the line 2--2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the reversible training idler, taken on the line 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the reversible training idler, taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated therein a reversible training idler l0 constructed in accordance with this invention, for utilization in a belt conveyor to train the belt thereof to a centrally disposed position in its longitudinal path of travel. The training idler comprises a frame 11 which includes a pair of frame members 12, 12 that are oppositely disposed and are spaced from each other. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame members 12, 12 are formed of angles which are cut to the appropriate size. At each end of the frame 11 there is an end plate member 13, which is secured to the frame members 12, 12, as by welding, thereby forming a box-like frame for the training idler 10. Each end plate member 13 may be formed of plate material, which is cut to the appropriate size and shape, as illustrated in the drawings.

A bracket 14 is provided at each end of the reversible training idler 10. Such brackets 14, 14 may be formed of plate material. The brackets 14, 14 are disposed adjacent to the respective end plate members 13, 13. Each bracket 14 is formed with a laterally extending shoulder 15, by which it may be secured to the frame structure 16 of a conveyor in which the training idler is installed.

A supporting pin 17 is secured to each end plate member 13, as by weld-ing. The supporting pin 17 extends through a bracket 14 and forms a pivotal supporting connection of the frame 11 to a bracket 14. A lever 18 is fixedly secured to each supporting pin 17. The levers 1'8, 18 provide a means by which the training idler 10 may be reversed by swinging the frame 11 in a counterclockwise direction from the one position of inclination, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, to an opposite position of inclination, according to the direction of travel of a belt 19 over the training idler 10. The frame 11 is swung on the pivot supporting pins 17, 17.

A bearing block 20 is disposed between the opposite frame members 12, 12 and is secured thereto at a position midway bet-ween the opposite ends of the frame 11. An upright pivot 21 is rotatably supported in the bearing block 20 on upper and lower anti-friction bearings 22, 23. A supporting sleeve 24 is fixedly secured to the upright pivot 21. The supporting sleeve 24 supports a fixed shaft 25, which is fixedly secured to the supporting sleeve 24, as by a set screw 26.

At each side of the supporting sleeve 24, there is a cylindrical shell 27, which is rot-atably supported on the fixed shaft 25 by suitable bearing means. Each cylindrical shell 27 has a plurality of idler discs 28 secured thereto, as by press fitting them on the cylindrical shell 27. The cylindrical shells 27 and the idler discs 28, together with the fixed shaft 25, form the idler roll 29 of the reversible training idler 10. The number of idler discs 28, and the disposition of the same, is determined by the character and magnitude of the load imposed on the idler roll 29.

As illustrated in the drawings, FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the belt 19 travels from left to right. In order to train the belt 19 in this direction of travel thereof, the training idler 10 is disposed with the upright pivot 21 inclined in the direction of travel of the belt 19. If the belt 19 deviates from a centrally disposed position in its longitudinal path of travel, the load on the idler roll 29 is unbalanced, causing the idler roll 29 to swing about the axis of the upright pivot 21.

When the idler roll 29 is swung to a laterally unbalanced position, it exerts a force on the belt 19 that tends to move the latter to a centrally trained path of travel on the idler roll 29. The load on the idler roll 29 is then restored to a balanced condition, whereby it is again aligned in a laterally disposed position with respect to the longitudinal path of travel of the belt 19. The swinging movement of the idler roll 29 on the upright pivot 21 is limited by a suitable stop 30 that is secured to the frame members 12, 12, as best seen in FIG. 4, in position to engage the supporting collar 24 to limit the swinging movement thereof in either direction.

The lever 18 at each side of the training idler 10 may be utilized to swing the frame 11 and the idler roll 29 from the position thereof shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, to a posit-ion in which the frame 11 and idler roll 29 are disposed with the upright pivot 21 inclined in the opposite direction of travel of the belt 19. Thus, the reversible training idler 10 may be positioned for training the belt 19 in either direction of travel thereof. The axis of the supporting pins 17 is disposed a relatively small distance below the laterally disposed axis of the idler roll 29. Thus, when the frame 11 and idler roll 29 are swung from the one position thereof to the other position thereof, the idler roll 29 is raised slightly as it passes over the axis of the supporting pins 17, and then is lowered as it passes to the other side of the axis of the supporting pins 17. However, by reason of the proximity of the axis of the supporting pins 17 to the axis of the idler roll 29, the latter is raised only a relatively small distance, thereby facilitating reversal of the position of the training idler 10. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the distance between the axis of the supporting pins 17, 17 and the axis of the idler roll 29 is less than the radius of the latter. By this construction, the training idler 10 may be easily reversed manually by means of the levers 18.

Below the supporting pins 17, each bracket 14 has an arcuate slot 31, the center of which is on the axis of .the supporting pins 17. A bolt 32 is secured to each end plate member 13 and extends through an arcuate slot 31. A wing nut 33 is turned on the bolt 32 and bears against the bracket 14 for fixedly securing the training idler 10 in one or the other of its positions. The arcuate slot 31 in cooperation with the bolt 32 establishes the positions of the training idler 10, in that the frame 11 and idler r0 11 29 are swung in one direction or the other on the supporting pins 17, 17 until each bolt 32 engages an end of an arcuate slot 31.

The reversible training idler constructed in accordance with this invention, comprises relatively few elements and is of a simple and feasible construction. There is providide a very serviceable training idler, which can be easily reversed by manual manipulation to set the training idler for training the belt to a longitudinally centered path of travel in either direction of travel of the belt.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and applicant therefore wishes not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A reversible training idler for a belt adapted to travel along a longitudinally extending path comprising, a transversely disposed frame, an idler roll disposed transversely of the belt and being rotatable about a transverse axis to support said belt as it travels over said idler roll, means for supporting said idler roll on said frame including an upright pivot for swinging movement of said idler roll to train said belt to a longitudinally centered position, a bracket at each end of said frame for mounting said reversible training idler on a supporting structure, pivotmeans connecting said frame to said brackets, said pivot means being disposed on a transverse axis that is (i) above said transversely disposed frame (ii) relatively close to the transverse axis of said idler roll and (iii) below the transverse axis of said idler roll, said transyersely disposed frame and said idler roll being oppositely located with respect to said :pivot means transverse axis to facilitate swinging said laterally disposed frame and said idler roll in opposite directions about the transverse axis of said pivot means in the longitudinal direction of travel of said belt, means for swinging said frame and said idler roll on said pivot means to move said idler roll from a first position in which said upright pivot is inclined in one direction of travel of said belt to a second position in which said upright pivot is inclined in the reverse direction of travel of said belt.

2. A reversible training idler for a belt as recited in claim 1 in which the distance between the transverse axis of said idler roll and the transverse axis of said pivot means is less than the radius of said idler roll.

3. A reversible idler for a belt as recited in claim 1 in which said frame comprises a pair of spaced frame members extending transversely of said belt, an end plate at each end of said frame secured to said space-d frame members, a bearing block disposed between said spaced frame members for supporting said upright pivot, said spaced frame members being disposed below said idler roll and said end plates extending upwardly from said spaced frame members towards said idler roll, said pivot means comprising a pin secured to the upper portion of each said end plates and extending through said brackets to support said frame and said idler roll on said brackets, at least one of said brackets includes an arcuate slot having its center on the axis of said pivot means, and means connected to said frame and extending through said slot for securing said idler roll in either of its first or second positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,022,949 4/1912 Johnson 74241 2,920,750 1/1960 Oouoh 198202 3,029,655 4/1962 Morrow -2 198-202 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,069,065 11/1959 Germany.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD A. SROKA, Examiner. 

1. A REVERSIBLE TRAINING IDLER FOR A BELT ADAPTED TO TRAVEL ALONG A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PATH COMPRISING, A TRANVERSELY DISPOSED FRAME, AN IDLER ROLLER DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF THE BELT AND BEING ROTATABLE ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS TO SUPPORT SAID BELT AS IT TRAVELS OVER SAID IDLER ROLL, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID IDLER ROLL ON SAID FRAME INCLUDING AN UPRIGHT PIVOT FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID IDLER ROLL TO TRAIN SAID BELT TO LONGITUDINALLY CENTERED POSITION, A BRACKET AT EACH END OF SAID FRAME FOR MOUNTING SAID REVERSIBLE TRAINING IDLER ON A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID FRAME TO SAID BRACKETS, SAID PIVOT MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON A TRANVERSE AXIS THAT IS (I) ABOVE SAID TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED FRAME (II) RELATIVELY CLOSE TO THE TRANSVERSE AXIS OF SAID IDLER ROLL AND (III) BELOW THE TRANSVERSE AXIS OF SAID IDLER ROLL, SAID TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED FRAME AND SAID IDLER ROLL BEING OPPOSITELY LOCATED WITH RESPECT TO SAID PIVOT MEANS TRANSVERSE 